Tag Archives: media

Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Media Review, June 4 – 10, 2011

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Scholars at Risk would like to draw attention to the killing of Dr. Maksud I. Sadikov, Rector of the Institute of Theology and International Relations in Russia. According to media reports Mr. Sadikov was shot to death in a car in Makhachkala, the capital of the Dagestan region, on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. The motives for this apparent assassination are not clear at this time but seem to relate to Dr. Sadikov’s efforts to promote moderate religious education in the region to counter terrorism and extremism in the Caucasus. Please see the following two articles for additional information relating to the killing of Dr. Sadikov:

Rector at Muslim University in Russia Is Shot to Death
Andrew E. Kramer, The New York Times, 6/7

Senior Dagestani Muslim Killed in a Hail of Bullets
Natalya Krainova, The Moscow Times, 6/8

Please find below a compilation of articles in the news media addressing academic freedom issues over the past week.

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The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here.  The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

BC asks for Irish project secrecy
Kevin Cullen, Boston Globe, 6/9

Annual Report 2011 of the Network of Concerned Historians
Antoon De Baets, Network of Concerned Historians, 6/8

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SAR Academic Freedom Media Review, May 21-27

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The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here/a>. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

New bill will protect academic freedom
Dan Harrison, The Sydney Morning Herald, 5/27

Slår et flerkulturelt slag for akademisk frihet (in Norwegian)
Claudio Castello, Utrop, 5/27
Automatic translation via Google Translator

AAUP Report Denounces Suspension of Idaho State U. Faculty Senate
Peter Schmidt, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 5/26

Intervention From On High
Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, 5/26

Do it! Court greenlights academic freedom 100 days event in Zomba
Raphael Tenthani, The Maravi Post, 5/26

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Headlines from the President’s Middle East Policy Speech

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President Barack Obama meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Friday, May 20, 2011.

I always find it interesting to scan headlines after a major policy speech.  The startlingly reveal the biases of the sources, or at least the audiences they seek to attract.  Particularly interesting today are those concerning the meeting between President Obama met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.  I haven’t read all these articles, but here are the headlines with the sources and the links to the articles.  What might you speculate about the articles, the papers or their target audiences?

Netanyahu Tells Obama Israel Can’t Return to ‘Indefensible’ 1967 Borders
Bloomberg – Jonathan Ferziger

Netanyahu and Obama long way apart over Middle East peace plans
The Guardian

President Obama supports a two-state solution based on Israel’s 1967 borders …
Wall Street Journal

Bibi and Barack Meet: So Much for the Fireworks
TIME (blog) – Massimo Calabresi

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SAR Academic Freedom Media Review, April 9-15

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The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

Scholars at Risk calls for letters on behalf of Professor Nasser bin Ghaith of the UAE
Scholars at Risk, 4/15

12 Organizations Ask U. of Virginia to Safeguard Climate Researcher’s Academic Freedom
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 4/14

Hastings’ board pulls UC brand from rights meeting
Bob Egelko, The San Francisco Chronicle, 4/13

Top PEN Prize to Honor Nasrin Sotoudeh, Jailed Iranian Lawyer, Writer, Activist
PEN, 4/13

Iran: independent civil society organisations ignored over draft law on associations
Education International, 4/12

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Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Media Review, March 19-25

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Scholars at Risk would like to draw attention to the situation surrounding Professor William Cronon of University of Wisconsin at Madison. According to media reports, the university was approached by the Republican Party of Wisconsin with a request, under Wisconsin’s open-records law, for Prof. Cronon’s e-mail records. The request was received just days after Prof. Cronon published a blog post regarding legislation proposed by Republican lawmakers. Please review the following two pieces—one featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education, and one written by Prof. Cronon on his blog—for additional information on this case.

Wisconsin GOP Seeks E-Mails of a Madison Professor Who Criticized the Governor
A Tactic I Hope Republicans Will Rethink: Using the Open Records Law to Intimidate Critics

Academic Freedom Media Review
March 19 – 25, 2011
Compiled by Scholars at Risk

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Academic Freedom Media Review, March 5-11, 2011

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Compiled by Scholars at Risk

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available at here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

Presidential duress: fears for Belarusian academic freedom
Colin Graham, Times Higher Education, 3/10

CHINA: Unrest fears prompt alert at universities
Yojana Sharma, University World News, 3/10

Virginia Supreme Court Will Hear Appeal of Climate-Papers Case
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 3/10

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SAR Academic Freedom Media Review: 26 February – 4 March 2011

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The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

Censorship or a Mirage?
Steve Kolowich, Inside Higher Ed, 3/4

The man from Kyrgyzstan
Corydon Ireland, Harvard Gazette, 3/3

‘Suspect’ Offa letter threatens sector’s freedom
Rebecca Attwood, Times Higher Education, 3/3

Academic Freedom and the Corporate University
Bill Gleason, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 3/3

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Academic Freedom Media Review, February 5 – 11, 2011

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The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available at here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

Universities must safeguard intellectual vitality
Andreas Hess, Irish Times, 2/10

Presidential duress: fears for Belarusian academic freedom
Colin Graham, Times Higher Education, 2/10

Travel Ban Extends to Family
Mihray Abdilim and Joshua Lipes, Radio Free Asia, 2/10

Faculty Group at U. of Puerto Rico Joins Students on Strike
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2/10

The Beck-Piven Controversy
Peter Wood, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2/10

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Egypt Decides! Let’s Stand Back for a While

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Saturday, 12 February 2011, Day 1 Freedom - Victory Tahrir Square, Photo by Darla Hueske, Creative Commons license, Some rights reserved

These are exciting times! The citizens revolution in Tunisia started a tidal wave of pro-democracy protests across the Arab world, and the resignation of Hosni Mubarak form the Presidency in Egypt proves there is no stopping it.

Fortunately, this wave has not caused the death and destruction tidal waves usually do, because it is the people themselves who are the wave, and it is the elite who are being swept away, not in a bloody coup, but through real people power. Final costs have yet to be assessed. People were jailed and others killed, but violence and destruction to property have been minimal. The police were brutal and ruthless and far too many were killed, but protests continued and the police disappeared quickly. After that, the one significant effort of Mubarak loyalist to crack heads, backfired terribly.

Most Americans are excited by this wave of democracy and have an innate tendency to support it. Others got very nervous when the wave hit Egypt. What happens if the Muslim brotherhood takes over? There are even voices who get far to much airplay in the media and too much ink in the press who say that people in the region are incapable of self governance and need strong arm leadership. The most looney voice has to be Glenn Beck who fears Mubarak’s fall will open the door to a Islamist Caliphate that will spread until it meets and joins forces with a Chinese-led “red” wave on a quest for world domination.
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TV News and Reporting from Egypt

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Dear Media,

Please stop marveling at how anything is happening in Egypt even though the internet is shut down and people can’t get on Twitter or Facebook.  You do realize that there were popular revolts before social media, don’t you?  In the latter half of the 20th century we had the Prague Spring in 1968, the Soweto uprising in 1976, the Paris riots in 1968, and even Tiananmen Square in 89. How do you think people coordinated the labor demonstrations of the 30s, the anti-colonial revolts of the developing world in the decades following World War II.  What about the French Revolution in 1789?  OMG?  How did they get anything done.  They didn’t even have land lines!

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